So…What’s Next?

When I first conjured the idea up of this webpage, it was around summer 2012. My first post on my bare bones website was published on August 21st, 2012. At that point, I had in my mind I was going to run the Goofy Challenge in WDW in 2014, and attempt to fundraise along the way. The Goofy turned into the Dopey, my fundraising went from not one organization, but two, and the amounts of races I registered for and competed in went through the roof. I also just assumed I would be done with this page when Dopey was then complete.

But now I can’t give it up.

I am enjoying managing this page and writing about my running, training, events, travels, and family history. So, first off….this site will continue to exist this year! Who knows…maybe longer! But what will I be talking about? What is next???….

My new training goal for this spring…..I am currently registered for the 50th Anniversary Calgary Full Marathon on June 1st, 2014. While I ran the half marathon there last year, I haven’t ran the full there since 2009….and it was a 5 hour and 4 minute disaster. Now that I have ran another race there (and it wasn’t a mess!) and I have completed another full since then (my WDW full!) I feel confident in my ability this year in Calgary. I am setting my goal high, but still in reach—-to qualify for Boston. In my age/gender category, I need a time below 3 hours and 35 minutes….roughly an 8:10 minute/mile. I plan to aim for a 3:33:33….because that’s fun! With my 3:50:52 in Disney even after four days of four early mornings, three previous runs, resort food and beverage, and some stops and hiccups on the course, I know this Boston Qualifying time is in reach. I need to keep my momentum going, as I am coming off a very successful year of training, filled with personal bests. I will keep pushing myself with my training, and I already mapped out my calendar plan. It includes more set interval training days, and on Sundays when I do my “long run” I will push my speed up a notch as I run with the Runners Soul Marathon Club.

Second….this site isn’t just about running. Those of your have been following for some time, or even new readers, have read entries about my dad and family history. I haven’t written a fully dedicated history post in sometime, but some of my previous ones from earlier last year are below:

This Spring I will be focusing on my roots and taking a closer look at Quebec City….and what’s a better way to do it than actually go to Quebec City!? Dan and I are going to Montreal and Quebec City this Spring break for a week, and I am so excited! I actually am expecting the emotions to be flowing as much as they were in Disney, if not more, because for years (and I am not exaggerating in saying that this was even well before my dad passed away) I had interest in going to Quebec City to try to find out more about my dad’s beginnings. The flights are booked, but that is about it….which is odd for me since I am such a planner. Over the next three months I will be putting all the final touches on what is sure to be an emotional Spring Break!

Lastly….why wouldn’t I go Coast to Coast this year? I mean…I already invested a whole year of time (and money) into Dopey, and unfortunately it can’t be a yearly thing….so this year is the year to take part in the Disney Coast to Coast Challenge. It’s simple…run a distance of a half marathon or more at one race in Walt Disney World Florida and also run one at Disneyland Resort in California in the same calendar year and you have done the Coast to Coast challenge! You get a highly coveted special piece of bling, of course, and the pride of doing a race at both resorts! But, since I am the way I am, I did not register for just the half marathon. I have already registered for the Dumbo Double Dare, which is a smaller version of the Dopey Challenge. I will be running in the Disneyland 10km on Saturday, August 30th, and then the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, August 31st. I have plans to attempt a sub 1:40 half on Sunday, but the more important thing is that I will be running the 10km with my best friend in the whole world, Ali. She is basically my sister, as we are both only children, and have been friends since 1991. She is not a runner, but a former competitive swimmer, who now coaches a high school and club team in the Los Angeles area. She is a Crossfit girl who is now taking on the task of, in her words, “learning how to run”, so she can help me complete this Disney journey. You can definitely expect some posts on mine and Ali’s friendship, our vacations we have gone on with one another’s families, and some of our shenanigans in this coming year. Maybe I can even convince Ali to write an entry on how her running is going!

So that’s it. Those three things are what is next in this coming year. And of course, there will be more local races I sign up for, more crazy epiphanies I will have, and who knows what else. Thanks everyone for your support and following my site, and I hope you are looking forward to what 2014 has in store as much as I do!

i have. several years ago after a long wait, i was contacted by canadian social services. although i was never given my birthnmothers name or wereabouts. they did contact her and we exchanged a letter and a photo of yourselves. hers not very easy to see,. after that commuication broke down, and i havent heard from her since. also have had contact from outside sources, relating the big cover up of adoptions/records in the 50’s, 60′, 70’s. i contiue to update my records with social services every two years in case there is every contact from my birthmother.

That’s great news that you found “something”, albeit not the whole bout of information. Keep updating your information regularly, because that was one of the harder things for me as I had to do the information forms on behalf of my dad since he had already passed away. And there were certain things I could not request as I was not “him” doing the forms. He never had an interest in any of it while he was alive but I would love to find more information. My husband and I plan on going back to Quebec City again in the future because the three days I spent there gave me so much more than the years of aimlessly putzing on the Internet or making phone calls to then just not understand French!